12 ways to brighten your morning

Okay, it’s probably no one’s favourite part of the day, particularly if you stayed up the night before to watch Jaws for the 17th time. But waking up in the morning sure beats the alternative!

By Reader's Digest

10. Wake to the smell of coffee

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Really great coffee.

Buy the best coffee you can afford – fresh beans are preferred – and put twice the amount you’ve been using into your coffee maker, the one you bought specifically because it has an alarm that can be set to start brewing times.

The strong scent of strong coffee will pull you out of bed like a fishhook in the back of your pajamas.

Plus, if you’re going the caffeine route, morning is the best time for it.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that acts in many ways like other stimulant drugs such as increasing your muscular activity.

Even better: A study of 18 men found that caffeine improved clear-headedness, happiness, and calmness, as well as their ability to perform on attention tests and to process information and solve problems.

11. Brush your tongue for one minute

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There’s no better way to rid yourself of morning breath and begin your day minty fresh and clean.

After all, more than 300 types of bacteria take up residence in your mouth every night.

12. Use real sugar in your coffee, or drink an orange juice

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When researchers at the University of Virginia tested the memories of healthy 60- to 80-year-olds, they found those who had a small amount of sugar in the morning (the experimenters compared sweetened to unsweetened lemonade) even before breakfast had better memory recall that day on into the following day.